Isoflavones occur in a variety of leguminous plants, including vegetable protein materials such as soybeans. These compounds include daidzin, 6-OAc daidzin, 6"-OMal daidzin, daidzein, genistin, 6"-OAc genistin, 6"-OMal genistin, genistein, glycitin, 6"-OAc-glycitin, 6"-OMal-glycitin, glycitein, biochanin A, formononetin and coumestrol. Typically these compounds are associated with the inherent, bitter flavor of soybeans, and in the production of commercial products, such as isolates and concentrates, the focus has been to remove these materials. For example, in a conventional process for the production of a soy protein isolate in which soy flakes are extracted with an aqueous alkaline medium, much of the isoflavones are solubilized in the extract, and remains solubilized in the whey, which is usually discarded following acid precipitation of the protein, to form an isolate. Residual isoflavones left in the acid precipitated protein isolate are usually removed by exhaustive washing of the isolate.
It has been recently recognized that the isoflavones contained in vegetable proteins such as soybeans may inhibit the growth of human cancer cells, such as breast cancer cells and prostate cancer cells as described in the following articles: "Genistein Inhibition of the Growth of Human Breast Cancer Cells, Independence from Estrogen Receptors and the Multi-Drug Resistance Gene" by Peterson and Barnes, Biochemical and Biophysical Research, Communications, Vol. 179, No. 1, pp. 661-667, Aug. 30, 1991; "Genistein and Biochanin A Inhibit the Growth of Human Prostate Cancer Cells but not Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Tyrosine Auto-phosphorylation" by Peterson and Barnes, The Prostate, Vol. 22, pp. 335-345 (1993); and "Soybeans Inhibit Mammary Tumors in Models of Breast Cancer" by Barnes, et al. Mutagens and Carcinogens in the Diet, pp. 239-253 (1990).
Of the above isoflavones, several exist as glucosides, or as glucones, with a glucose molecule attached at the seven position as illustrated in the formula below. Several of the glucones such as the 6"-OAc genistin, contain an acetate group attached to the six position of the glucose molecule itself. While all the isoflavones, including the glucosides are of interest in medical evaluation, the specific isoflavones of most interest are the aglucones, wherein the glucose molecule is not attached. These isoflavones are not as water soluble as the glucones or glucosides. Specific isoflavones in this category are daidzein, genistein, and glycitein. These aglucones have the following general formula: ##STR1## wherein, R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 may be selected from the group consisting of H, OH and OCH.sub.3. It is therefore to the aglucones and enrichment of a vegetable protein whey or whey protein with these materials to which the present invention is directed.
Methods are known in the art for converting glucone isoflavones to aglucone isoflavones, such as described in Japanese Patent Application 258,669 to Obata et al. Such processes achieve only a moderate extent of conversion and so are not desirable, particularly for large scale commercial operations. In addition, known processes such as described in the '669 application teach removing the isoflavones from the protein material and do not describe how to prepare an aglucone isoflavone enriched protein whey. Thus, there is a need for a process of converting at least a majority and preferably substantially all glucone isoflavones to aglucone isoflavones, and for producing an aglucone isoflavone enriched whey and whey protein.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an aglucone isoflavone enriched protein whey, whey protein, and a process for producing the same. This, and other objects, are specifically achieved in the detailed description of the present invention set forth below.